Fleetwood out of Checkatrade Trophy after Carlisle defeat

Goals from Alex Jakubiak and Jack Sowerby weren't to be enough for Town

Fleetwood Town went out of the Checkatrade Trophy despite a spirited display against Carlisle.

With many of their regular starters left at home the Cod Army got off to a dreadful start, finding themselves three goals down at the break.

Goals from Jack Sowerby and Alex Jakubiak gave them hope, before a late fourth from the home side put any hopes to bed.

Uwe Rosler made eleven changes to the side which drew at Southport on Monday night, with Ollie Roberts and Elliot Osborne making their first starts for the club.

The game also saw a return to action for Aaron Holloway who missed almost three months with a hamstring injury.

Carlisle themselves made six changes from their usual line-up, with the Cumbrians coming into the game having not lost a single game all season.

Town made a lively start to the game and managed the first effort on goal when Roberts met a George Glendon pass to fire wide from 25 yards.

Former Stoke youngster Roberts was again in the thick of it moments later, when his superb delivery from a free-kick was headed goalwards by Holloway, only for keeper Max Crocombe to be a match.

One of the senior players in Town’s line-up didn’t last long, with Martyn Woolford coming worse off in a challenge after just ten minutes, he was replaced by Dion Charles - another making his debut for the club.

It took just 14 minutes for the home side to find a way through, with their first real attack of the game.

Joe McKee finding space in the box before guiding a cut-back into the far corner, a decent move and nice finish on his full debut.

Four minutes later it was two, this time another decent cross into the box was headed home brilliantly by Charlie Wyke.

The goals took the stuffing out of the young Fleetwood side, but they again grew into the game as the half went on, with Roberts in particular catching the eye.

But just two minutes before the break the game was put to bed as Danny Granger blasted home a penalty to make it three.

At the break Rosler replaced Osborne with Jack Sowerby in midfield, and he made an immediate impact scoring with almost his first touch.

He raced onto a through ball by Holloway before controlling and firing superbly into the corner.

Twenty more minutes passed, and out of nowhere Alex Jakubiak made it 3-2 with a superb finish from a tight angle.

He met a Holloway pass to blast home from a wide angle. It was very much game on.

What followed was a superb spell for the Cod Army as they went in search of the most unlikely of comebacks, only for Cameron Salkeld to put any hopes to bed with 15 minutes to go as he scored the home side’s fourth on the break. That was to be that.